Survive 2

Chapter Eighteen

Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

November 15, 2022.

Madison Stone's Point Of View.

After saying goodbye to my friends I go back inside the mall, heading towards the food court, where the confectioner's shop is located.

As I am getting close to Amour, I see my father sitting at a table with a woman, a girl, who looks about my age, and a small boy.

They are smiling and talking, which makes me strange it. If he didn't want to have children, why is he acting like a father to these children and with me, who am really his daughter, he wouldn't give a damn?

I don't understand how his love for my mother went away so easily, because if there was one thing I could tell when he was present, it was that he really was in love with her, but in a very wrong way, that passion is gone.

I am impressed with myself that I don't feel sad or wish I was in the place of one of those people at the table receiving his attention.

I stare at them for a few seconds until the little boy sees me and points at me, causing everyone, including my father, to look at me.

My father nods at me and I seriously think about ignoring him, but out of politeness I nod back, realizing by the looks on the faces of the people with him that they have no idea who I am, which doesn't surprise me.

He calls me to go to them and I deny it, but he calls me again and I end up going to where they are.

"Madison," my father says as I stop in front of their table and he stands up.

"Richard." I say his name in a slightly serious way and from the way he looks at me, I know he realizes that things have changed since that day.

"Yeah.. Madison, this is Mia, my girlfriend," he introduces me to the woman who is the complete opposite of my mother. She is blonde with short hair and dark eyes.

"Nice to meet you," she says and I just give a small smile, without giving too much intimacy.

"These are my stepchildren Olivia and Noah."

"Hi!" The little boy, who must be about four or five, says in a cute way and stretches his hand to greet me, which makes me smile and greet him back, because he's just a kid and he has nothing to do with what his mother and my father did.

"Hi!" I take his small hand and then release it.

The girl, who must really be about my age, just looks at me, so I do the same.

"Did you know that Anthony died?" I ask seriously and he looks at me completely shocked.

"How? When? Barbara didn't tell me."

"After he left his bags where you wanted them and went to go home, a speeding car hit the car he was driving."

"Who is Anthony?" The blonde asks and I look at her the same way I looked at my father.

"My father." Too bad by the time I realized this it was too late.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she says and I agree.

"Me too."

"He wasn't your father," Richard says seriously and I look deep into his eyes.

It's impressive how much he didn't even care about Anthony's death, which only makes my desire to walk away from them increase.

"Father is not the doer but the caretaker," I speak trying my best not to show hurt or any other kind of emotion.

"Where do you two know each other from?" The short-haired woman asks and I look at my father, waiting to see what he is going to say.

"She's the daughter I have with my ex-wife," he speaks and the woman looks at me in surprise, along with her daughter.

"Oh.. I didn't know," she says looking at me still surprised and I smile wryly.

"Did you even know he had a daughter?" I ask and she looks at me seriously, but who answers me is her daughter.

"She doesn't need to know. If he didn't tell her it's because you're not important to him," and I agree, because she didn't lie.

"Olivia.." her mother scolds her.

"No, she is right. But now think with me, Olivia," I emphasize her name. "If he did what he did once, he may well do it again."

"Madison.." And now my father scolds me.

"What? Did I lie? By the way, are you happy with the divorce, Dad?" I ironize the last word.

"Yes," he says seriously and looking at the woman who is with him, as if he is making her sure of that.

"Is everything okay, Madison?" I turn and see Deputy Baker looking at me worriedly.

"Who is he?" My father asks me and I turn away from him, moving closer to my new friend.

"I'm Christopher Baker, close friend of Madison's family, and you? Who are you?" He says seriously and puts his arm around my neck.

I guess since he must deal with a lot of crime and stuff, anything must activate his protective instinct.

"I am her father," and now that Deputy Baker gets more serious.

"Come on Madison, your mom is calling you."

"I'm talking to my daughter," my father says angrily and I don't understand.

When he had the opportunity to talk to me every day, he ignored me and now he wants to talk to me?

"She was missing for almost two weeks and you didn't know anything, because you don't care about her and now you want to call her your daughter?.. come on Madison," He speaks and doesn't even wait for him to answer, just pulls me away from my father.

We return in silence to the confectionery and I sit down at one of the tables, knowing that the sadness I am feeling at this moment is entirely related to the longing I feel for Anthony.

"Where is my mother?" I ask and he sits down next to me.

"She is in a meeting. She told me I was supposed to look for you because you were taking so long."

"Got it.." I say and he takes a deep breath.

"Sorry for saying that. It wasn't my intention to hurt you, but to throw it in his face that he's not a good father," and I agree.

"No need to apologize. You didn't say anything that I don't already know."

"I'm sorry your father is like that." He speaks and I look at him.

"Don't be, I have received paternal love before, it just wasn't from him and I didn't realize I was receiving it in time," I say and my voice starts to fall as I remember the guy who treated me like a daughter.

"Are you talking about your driver?"

"He was more than my driver, he loved me and now that he is no longer here, I know I will no longer receive that love, Deputy."

"You don't have to call me deputy, you can call me Christopher and you don't have to..." he starts, but when he sees the tears falling from my face, he stops talking and moves closer to me, squeezing me in a hug.

"I miss him so much."

"I understand," he strokes my hair and then undoes the hug. "Look, I feel that my friendship, both with you and your mother, will continue after the case is over and I know it won't be the same, but know that if you want to talk to someone, you can call me and I will be willing to listen and help you."

And that makes a small smile appears on my lips, because he has been a nice person to me since the moment we met.

"Okay. Thank you, Depu.." he chides me smiling with his gaze. "Thank you, Christopher."